Policy Study and Issue Paper Series

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation

Some Initial Findings from Africa

Educational Quality Engaging and Preparing Youth for Work, Civil Society, Improvement Program 3 and Family Life oung people are increasingly recognized (3) regardless of their current status, young people are as significant agents in community and the future custodians of their environments and leaders national development. Throughout the of their peers. A failure to promote youth development world, hundreds of thousands of young – and roles for youth in development – will negatively affect countries across the world, whereas engaging Y people are spearheading positive social young people in civil society and governance activities, change – leading community initiatives, operating such as youth councils, encourages them to learn small businesses, and re-shaping political processes. peaceful means of impacting their communities and the world. As young people become more astute in the With more than one in five of the world’s population process of affecting change and developing pathways for between the ages of 12 and 24, and with 1.3 billion of progress, they also contribute to the development of these young people living in developing countries, it is stable, productive communities. imperative that youth develop the skills they need to contribute to their families, their countries, and the global 1 Youth councils, however, can have both positive and community. The youth council is a mechanism that negative effects on participating youth and enables youth to gain these skills while must be carefully planned to avoid the simultaneously changing their What Is a latter. Using six case studies as communities. examples, this document explores Youth Council? elements of effective youth A youth council is an entity composed An entity composed of young councils, in addition to challenges of young people that serves as an people that serves as an youth councils may face. The advisory or advocacy body to adadvisoryvisory or or advocacy advocacy body body to accompanying insert is a mini- government or donor agencies. Most governmentto government or donor or donoragencies. guide that offers USAID staff tips often, its role is to identify priorities, donor agencies agencies. for creating a youth advisory craft policies that support these priorities, committee or working with existing and contribute to the implementation of youth councils. these policies through public services. Its role may also include public outreach and advocacy. The case studies (see facing page) feature youth councils operating at local, national, regional, and international Young people constitute clear assets to development levels. Except for the international youth council, the when they are positively empowered to be active Glocal Youth Parliament (GYP), all youth councils citizens. Supporting and including young people in featured in this document work on the African continent. development processes is critical for several reasons: (1) Two of the case studies – the African Regional Youth youth have experience, knowledge, and ideas that are Initiative (ARYI) and the GYP – represent intermediary unique to their situation, enabling them to offer key organizations, or regional/global scale organizations and insights and perspectives on development that adults networks that promote information exchange, build cannot; (2) in many communities, youth make up the leadership, foster civic engagement, and create majority of the population; as a result, youth voices can opportunities for young people to see and understand be crucial expressions of overall community needs; and their issues in a broader context.

EQUIP3 would like to thank the following people for their hard work on this document, which was conceived,

created and written by a team who were all under the age of 30 at the time of writing: Ann Hershkowitz, Anike Akridge, and Suzanne Kratzig wrote the paper with the research assistance of Carrie Ndoka in Kenya and Samuel Mabbikke in Uganda. Melanie Beauvy provided research and editorial direction. CASE STUDIES

Case Study 1:______The Mulago Parish Youth Council (MYPC) is a local parish youth council in the Mulago neighborhood of Kampala, Uganda. The area is impoverished and has a high number of out-of-school and unemployed youth. The council’s purpose is to mobilize youth to contribute to the development of government programs, in addition to providing an outlet for youth to express themselves and become engaged within the Division (an administrative unit larger than a parish). The objectives are primarily focused at the local level: uniting youth, cultivating talents, developing relationships between and among youth and youth organizations, and fostering partnerships with other civil society organizations, including development agencies and the private sector. Case Study 2:______The Mukogodo Youth Network (MUYONET) was established in 2004 to give visibility, credibility, and voice to youth in the Maasai pastoralist community. The network began as a self-help project that sought solutions to problems facing young people in the Mukogodo Division in Central Kenya. Many of the challenges the community faced were rooted in cultural traditions and practices, such as an existing leadership structure dominated by elders who believe youth should not be included in decision-making processes. The goal of the network has been to establish local linkages and encourage youth to take an active part in their own development. Case Study 3:______In 1997, the Mozambique National Youth Council (MNYC) was created through a Presidential resolution to coordinate the different activities developed by youth organizations and serve as an intermediary between youth and government. Today, the MNYC consists of 250 youth associations (i.e., NGOs, faith-based organizations, and political party youth representatives) within 11 provinces. The council is led by an 11-member Board whose objectives are to organize and systematize youth organizations in Mozambique, guarantee the participation of young people in political decision-making, promote advocacy campaigns, and build the capacity of provincial youth councils. Although the MNYC is supported by the government, it also receives non-governmental support from UNICEF, UNFPA, and Pathfinder International. Case Study 4:______The Malindi Youth District Forum (MYDF) is a local level youth council in Malindi District, a coastal area in Kenya. In 2002, the MYDF was formed due to an increased urgency to address the myriad issues facing young people, such as HIV/AIDS, unemployment, early marriage, substance abuse, and the absence of youth leadership. The council was developed as a platform to enable young people to have a voice and bring transformation through policy and effective programming. The MYDF’s mission is to improve the lifestyles of young people in Malindi through capacity building, mentoring, networking, community-based involvement, and sports and recreational activities. Case Study 5:______The African Regional Youth Initiative (ARYI) serves as a youth-led network of people and organizations committed to addressing development issues in Africa through direct community engagement and participation. The focus of the organization includes HIV/AIDS, poverty, leadership and governance, women’s health, and community development. The ARYI operates under a regional model that establishes collaborations with national partners to discuss domestic issues, raise concerns, identify the common themes across African countries, and facilitate the development of appropriate responses. The organization is divided into five regions – East, West, North, Central, and Southern Africa – each of which has a regional delegate who represents the regions at the national network of the ARYI. Case Study 6:______The Glocal Youth Parliament (GYP) is a worldwide network of urban youth partnering with local governments, organizations, international institutions, the private sector, and each other to elevate the collective youth voice and improve young people’s quality of life. The GYP was established in 2002 as a program of the Global Forum, a non- governmental international agency that promotes peace-building and sustainable international development by facilitating city-to-city cooperation. The GYP works to bring the concerns, desires, and hopes of youth to the forefront of municipal policymaking and global programming. The GYP’s focus areas include economic development, health, education, multiculturalism, environment, and youth participation in local government. Currently, the growing network spans 65 cities and five continents.

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 2 community, who now see youth as “responsible pillars of What Is the Impact of Youth Councils? the community.” Many youth councils run projects to improve their communities; while these projects usually Youth councils have the power to have a lasting effect on target youth, some benefit the entire population. The both individuals and communities. These effects range MPYC built a ventilated pit latrine that benefits all of the from tangible results of council projects (e.g., new inhabitants of a neighborhood that previously lacked latrines, cleaner streets) to more profound behavioral or sanitary facilities. Youth working together are able to societal changes (e.g., increased self-esteem, enact positive social change in their communities, development of youth policies). whether local or global.

At the individual level, Types of Youth Councils and Their Roles “Contributing to youth often report making the lives of improved confidence, self- Youth councils are as diverse as they are plentiful. Still, youth in Uganda esteem, and sense of certain characteristics, or types, emerge when examining 2 better: that’s what purpose. For example, a wide variety of youth councils. Some youth councils one youth council member embody more than one type. For example, a youth motivates me the said that “serving the council may be at the same time youth-driven and issue- most.” youth” through a youth specific, while taking an advocacy role. It is important to - Youth council council gives her “great note that different types of youth councils can be member in Uganda inner satisfaction.” Youth effective in different ways; no one type is always better councils can also provide than another. youth with opportunities to acquire new skills, such as public speaking or fundraising.3 One youth attributed his Issue-specific, group-specific, or community-specific improved leadership skills and ability to plan and manage Youth councils can be categorized into issue-specific, projects to his involvement in a youth council. group-specific, and community-specific councils.6 Issue- specific organizations focus on an issue (e.g., Many of the skills gained through participation in youth environment, education, work) that affects youth. councils can be transferred to other contexts. Providing Group-specific organizations “represent groups of young young people with the ability to express themselves in a people who share a common identity, either through a diplomatic and eloquent manner, for example, can serve common interest or through their marginalized position 7 them well in their professional and social lives. Youth within society.” For example, the Mukogodo Youth councils also offer extensive occasions for networking, Network (MUYONET) in Kenya works on issues of importance to youth who are members of the Masai which allows participating youth to expand their pastoralist community. Organizations that focus on professional opportunities. Young people also gain a issues related to youth in a particular locale are called better understanding of local issues and governance “community-specific.” The MPYC in Uganda and the structures by experiencing governance processes first- Malindi Youth District Forum (MYDF) in Kenya are 4 hand. examples of community-specific youth council; they work with youth in a defined area and address the local The positive impacts of youth councils go beyond the youth issues. Issue- and group-specific youth councils individual youth who are members of the council itself. usually have a large reach (i.e., national, regional or The Youth Declaration, created by the Mozambique international), while community-specific works best at National Youth Council (MNYC), informs youth policy for the local level. the entire country. Youth councils can also foster inter- Youth-driven or state-driven generational dialogue and improve the image of youth in the eyes of policymakers.5 The Mulago Parish Youth Another way to categorize youth councils is based on the Council (MPYC) is an example of one youth council that level of youth autonomy within the council.8 Councils can has succeeded in this realm: one MPYC youth member be youth-driven, state-driven, or a combination of the reported better relationships with elders in the two. Youth councils in the first category are run by youth

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 3 and are independent from the government. MUYONET The two categories overlap, however, and youth councils is an example of a youth-driven council. Although it can focus on both aspects as part of their missions. receives some funding from the Kenyan government, the MUYONET was established in 2004 to give visibility, majority of its funding comes from outside sources. credibility, and voice to youth in the Masai pastoralist Local government officials are generally unsupportive of community. The council’s focus includes expanding the youth, whom they see as a threat to their power; as cultural norms to create a positive environment that such, the members of MUYONET have taken the lead in enables and encourages youth development, in addition planning and running the activities of the council, to sensitizing the community to accept qualified youth to independent of the government. The MNYC is an take on leadership positions. While these activities are example of the second category of youth councils – primarily society-centered, MUYONET also engages in those that are part of a government structure and closely youth-centered activities, such as hosting forums and linked to the state. Created by the national government, capacity-building workshops where youth can both the MNYC receives both its government and its external exchange ideas and develop new skills. Most of the resources via the Ministry of Youth and Sport. councils featured in this document conduct both youth- centered and society-centered activities as part of their While many youth councils fit into one of the two missions. categories, many do not. Therefore, it is probably more useful to think of the level of youth autonomy within a Advising or advocating youth council as a continuum, with youth-driven and The mission of a youth council often helps determine its government-driven at the two ends. role, which is frequently includes advising or advocating. Both advisory and advocacy roles allow for young people Youth-centered or society-centered to voice their opinions and guide interventions to TakingITGlobal, a highly regarded international youth address their needs. While youth councils tend to program and network, identified two broad categories assume one role more than the other, they often regarding the mission of youth councils: “youth- perform duties associated with both roles. centered” and “society-centered.”9 The former aims to “facilitate the development of youth (coordinate In an advisory role, youth councils share their ideas and projects, provide information, work to change quality of opinions, though they do not necessarily have decision- life for young people.)” The MYDF’s mission, for making power. As an organization supported by the example, is to improve the lifestyle of young people government, the MNYC, according to a 1996 presidential through training and capacity building, mentoring, resolution, should “serve as a legitimate interlocutor networking, community-based involvement, and sports between youth and government.”11 In this advisory role, and recreational activities. In addition to other youth- the MNYC participated in the drafting of the 2002 Youth centered activities, the MYDF has established Youth Declaration for the country, and Mozambique’s National Resource Centers, which serve as drop-in centers where Youth Policy is considered to be the operationalization of youth can network and obtain information. this Declaration.

Alternatively, society-centered youth councils “aim to In an advocacy role, youth councils promote youth effect change in the attitude and space society gives to interests, from lobbying for specific, desired outcomes youth (work with government to change policy, advocate on issues that affect youth (e.g., changes to bus fare for children’s rights protection, lobby to change social youth) to encouraging general youth participation in structures to accommodate youth concerns).”10 The GYP government, organizations, and society as a whole. For works in both local and global spheres to bring the example, the MYDF has a democracy and governance concerns, desires, and hopes of youth to the forefront of program that promotes civic education and advocates municipal policymaking and global programming. mainstreaming youth in active politics, such as the process of national development resource allocation.

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 4 In addition to advising and advocating, a youth council Clearly defined purpose and role can also liaise between government and other youth Young people need to understand both what they are organizations – particularly if it is an umbrella doing and the intended outcomes of their actions. organization of numerous youth-serving organizations – Providing them with context and clearly defined and coordinate and manage youth projects.12 All of the expectations allows for a deeper connection to the six organizations in the case studies implement youth 13 work. projects. In addition to its democracy and governance program, for example, the MYDF has a youth mentorship The MNYC has established a successful framework that program that promotes skills-sharing partnerships clearly defines the council’s purpose. In 2002, youth between District youth who live and work in urban areas associations met as a collective to discuss and identify and rural youth. This initiative enables youth from urban issues facing the approximately nine million youth (40 and rural areas to support one another by developing an percent of the population) in Mozambique. Following the awareness of a variety of youth issues and sharing discussions, they developed the Youth Declaration, valuable technical skills. which serves as a framework that addresses the relevant needs and aspirations of Mozambican youth. This International intermediary organizations framework has served to guide the work of the MNYC As youth councils and other organized youth bodies and its member councils. In addition to having a clear continue to emerge across the world as platforms for organizational purpose, the GYP also has a clearly youth to vocalize and participate, it becomes increasingly defined role. It serves to advocate for, build the capacity important that these youth organizations are connected of, and support youth, yet it does not assume the role of with one another in real and active ways. Many of the “boss” or evaluator of youth programs. Actual challenges with which youth – particularly those in implementation is left to other organizations, such as lower-income countries – grapple transcend national municipal government and development agencies. borders (e.g., education, employment, AIDS, youth participation, gender equality). Thus, along with the Fair and equal representation burgeoning development of youth councils, regional and Youth councils need to represent the youth they purport global scale organizations and networks have emerged in to serve fairly; otherwise they risk losing legitimacy with recent years. These organizations serve as intermediary non-member youth. Fair representation helps create a agencies to promote information exchange, build cohesive youth council that promotes unity among leadership, foster civic engagement, and create young people. A lack of fair representation potentially opportunities for young people to see and understand marginalizes under-represented youth. Effective youth their issues in a broader context. This paper features two councils allow people of different backgrounds to share organizations that have successfully served in this 14 their ideas and experiences. intermediary capacity: the Glocal Youth Parliament and the African Regional Youth Initiative. Some councils make membership requirements and member selection processes (if there are any) Elements of Effective Youth Councils transparent to prevent misunderstandings about Effective youth councils encourage youth to become membership that can lead to poor perceptions of the active citizens by providing them with opportunities to council.15 The MPYC is an example of such a council. As increase their skills, influence their communities, and part of the Uganda youth council structure, the MPYC learn about governance through direct participation. In assures appropriate representation through affirmative addition to access to adequate resources (e.g., funding, action, which ensures the inclusion of women and space to conduct activities), the literature and case people with disabilities. studies identify several other components necessary for youth councils to be effective. Though not all groups have membership requirements, some still recognize that equal representation leads to a

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 5 diversification of ideas and a successful youth council. implemented a number of other methods of placing For example, the MNYC, which is inherently political in youth participation at the center of their activities (see nature due to its dependence on the government, box below). prioritizes equal representation by ensuring that youth members embody a cross-spectrum of political and Young people must see that their participation is having religious affiliations. Fair and equal representation leads an impact. While youth are eager to voice their opinions, to active youth participation, which is another element they are wary of adults who are more interested in the of a successful youth council. boost youth consultation can bring to their public image than in the actual value of youth input.16 Mozambique Active youth participation reflects the importance of genuine youth participation. Youth should be involved in the work of the council in a Some MNYC members feel that the country’s political meaningful way. Youth can easily spot when their leadership often imposes its own agenda upon the MNYC participation is tokenistic and will consequently resent members. In 2006, out of frustration with the limited the pretense. In order to retain and truly include the impact of the MNYC, youth leaders launched a parallel, voices of young people, youth must be treated as experts democratically elected youth council, unaffiliated with in their own right. Implemented by the African Regional the government. This parallel council is explicitly Youth Initiative (ARYI), the African Participatory intended to remain uncorrupted by politics and to serve Monitoring Initiative successfully illustrates this concept. as a safe forum where youth can both speak openly and The goal of the Initiative was to develop and support, hold government leaders accountable. through a series of civil society consultations led by Successful partnerships young people, a nationally driven youth response that actively includes the participation of all civil society Effective youth councils have often managed to develop members, particularly young people, in open dialogues effective partnerships – either with adults or with and integrates their voices into the development of organizations. Adults and organizations are sometimes viable macroeconomic policies. The ARYI has also able to help youth councils with activities they may not

Focus on the African Regional Youth Initiative and Youth Participation

Youth participation is integral to the ARYI’s work. Most ARYI projects have emerged out of expressed needs of young people. However, while many youth participatory projects are established at the local or national level, ARYI’s work primarily focuses on youth issues that transcend national boundaries. The organization develops its advisory councils in a highly participatory manner, recruiting youth through call-outs, where young people from across the continent are encouraged to apply for positions. In addition to the call-outs, the ARYI is careful to ensure that the youth selected accurately represent the breadth and diversity of African populations.

The organization also provides opportunities for young people to engage in online forums and consultations that generate awareness on key topics. ARYI maintains a blog in order to support initiatives and to stimulate dialogue and critical thinking on development issues in Africa and globally. This project came about after several young people emailed commentaries about specific development topics to the organization, revealing the need for a platform to brainstorm and respond at a larger level. Now, once a month, a volunteer will send out a written commentary, and people across Africa will provide feedback. This forum gives birth to many fruitful ideas. For example, inspired by the online community forum, an in-person community development forum in Nigeria was proposed and established to discuss local issues and facilitate locally implemented actions.

While establishing some of these initiatives has taken several years, the process of development has been organic and truly led and fueled by young people. One of the effects of this process is a high sense of ownership and investment in the projects by ARYI volunteer members.

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 6 Insert on Youth Participation in USAID Programming

FOSTERING YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN USAID PROGRAMMING

A youth program increases its chances of success, efficiency, and relevance if it engages young people in its programming, including design, implementation, and evaluation. Youth participation is a way to provide opportunities for youth to take on greater responsibilities and, through these real world experiences, build competencies and develop into successful adults. Furthermore, participation in social groups fosters a feeling of connectedness and belonging, helping young people develop a sense of identity and responsibility.

To help us better assess the levels of youth participation, Hart conceived the following ladder:1

Youth initiated – shared decisions Participation Youth initiated and directed

Consulted and informed

Assigned but informed

Tokenism Decoration Non - Participation Manipulation

The youth councils described in the primary document fall in the top levels of this ladder. However, no matter how high the youth group is on this ladder, it still assumes the need for dynamic, trusted adults to accompany participatory processes at every step. These adults, however, need to act within a new paradigm of youth-adult partnership, in which the young people increasingly take on authorship of the process, including the ability to make and learn from their own mistakes.

Keeping these principles in mind, the following section proposes some ways for donor agencies to engage more directly with youth advisory groups and organized youth councils.

Creating a New Youth Advisory Committee USAID Missions can create their own youth advisory committees to help further their work. The youth council members can:

. Serve as advisors to USAID bureaus and missions . Bring a valuable perspective on how to better engage young people in the process of development planning at USAID . Be tapped to participate with a team that is working to design new youth projects . Act as intermediaries between USAID and other youth organizations to support the exchange of ideas and information regarding youth-related development

1 Adapted from Roger Hart, “Children’s Participation: From Tokenism to Citizenship,” UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Innocenti Essay 4 (1992). Insert on Youth Participation in USAID Programming

Steps to Create a Youth Advisory Committee As noted earlier, it is important to have a clear purpose and objective for the youth council. This should be developed at the outset so that staff members and youth council members can create appropriate expectations and prepare appropriately for their roles. Second, create selection criteria and choose a method for identifying and recruiting members of the youth council. One way for organization-specific youth councils to obtain members is to use a nomination process. Important factors to keep in mind during this process include: . Diversity and representation, including age, gender, background, and experience . Working language and level of proficiency needed in this language . Experience working with adults and other youth, with democracy and governance issues, etc. . Other factors such as motivation, commitment to particular issues, vision for the future, and ability to plan and execute activities . Level of commitment required (hours/week or month, or specific activities to complete)

Once the nomination process is determined, the next step is to solicit nominations and create a selection committee. One thing to keep in mind is the importance of questioning the representation of the council after the youth are nominated; this is particularly vital when working with youth who are harder to reach (e.g., girls, street youth, or out-of-school youth). It can be helpful to ask youth themselves to nominate harder-to-reach youth, who are often missed by initial selection processes. After the selection committee has chosen the youth council members, it is essential to work with the youth to develop a work plan.

Working with Existing Youth Councils The case studies highlighted several examples of how USAID could work with existing youth councils. One way is to partner on specific initiatives or projects, as Family Health International /USAID does with the Malindi Youth District Forum on reproductive health issues. Another way is to create a broader working relationship, as UNICEF and the Mozambique National Youth Council have done.

Steps to Work with Existing Youth Councils The first step is to decide which type of relationship is desirable: will it be for a project only, or will it be more in-depth? Then, identify youth councils that already operate in the geographic area of interest (e.g., country, province, city, or village) or in the issue area of interest (e.g., civic education, anti- corruption).

Next, evaluate the prospective youth council partners on several factors. These include: . Representation: Is membership diverse in terms of gender, age, ethnicity, and background? . Previous experience: What has the youth council worked on? What has it achieved to date? . Language compatibility: What is the working language of the youth council? Are there other languages spoken by its members that would allow communication with outside agencies? . Processes, including communication and membership: Is there a good communication system, both internal and external? Is there access to technology to facilitate communications? What communication style (written or verbal) is commonly used? Does that fit with USAID’s needs? . How is membership determined? Is the recruitment process open and transparent? Insert on Youth Participation in USAID Programming

After evaluating the youth councils, begin discussions with the top youth council choice(s) to identify partnership opportunities. Although the type of partnership desired will have already been determined earlier, some flexibility may facilitate the process of developing a relationship with an existing youth council. In general, revisiting and discussing the objectives of the partnership during initial conversations with the youth council is vital because the participating youth bring new perspectives that will enrich the way the partnership is implemented. For example, if the youth council already has a project that could use additional support it may be better to assist them with that project than to begin a new venture or to provide more general support. Alternatively, if the youth council seems in need of more in-depth skills development, it may be better to provide this kind of support instead of project-specific support.

The final step is to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which clearly defines the expectations of both USAID and the youth council, including funding and partnership objectives. The MOU should be written in clear, jargon-free language to ensure that all parties fully understand it.

Tips for Working with Youth Councils When working with youth councils, whether newly created and organization-specific or already existing and independent, there are several key items to keep in mind. These include:

Capacity Building In almost all circumstances, it will be important to help increase the skills of the youth council members, as UNICEF does with the Mozambique National Youth Council. Although the type of capacity-building activities will vary greatly depending on the needs of the individual youth council, skills might include writing (e.g., proposals, reports, press releases), public speaking/oral presentations, and strategic planning (i.e., identifying goals and ways to reach them). Capacity building is also important for the adults who work with youth; training on youth-appropriate communication techniques and working methods is almost always essential.

Visible Results One challenge when working with youth relates to the time it takes to plan and implement projects. Youth are often frustrated by the length of time between initial planning and seeing results. Ensuring that youth understand the expected timeline from the outset of any initiative may mitigate this frustration; it may also help to identify and work on initiatives and projects with a visible product or impact. Allowing youth to see the results of their work may reduce their discontent with (perceived) long project timelines.

Communication A clear and transparent communication system, both internal and external, is essential for any partnership to succeed. Devoting a sufficient amount of time to the process of developing a communication system is key to developing a system that all parties understand and with which they are comfortable. Being open to alternative communication methods is also important. For example, as noted in the case studies, the Malindi Youth District Forum uses mobile performance theatre groups, and the Glocal Youth Parliament uses blogs and portals.

A good communication system ensures that information and ideas are shared. However, for youth councils to be most effective, they must go beyond soliciting youth’s input and engage them in project design, implementation, and evaluation. Ideally, youth will drive the process, with adults working alongside them. ______Focus on the Malindi Youth District Forum and Partnerships

The MYDF’s strategic use of partnerships has helped the council to increase its capacity and financial sustainability and to develop a high level of community investment and integration. From the beginning, the council established a working committee of business leaders, municipal officials, and religious and community leaders to provide guidance and start-up resources, such as office space, computers, and stationery. While the council is independent, it has established partnerships with multiple stakeholders, including local youth organizations, local officials, international development organizations, and local NGOs. Through these inclusive outreach efforts, in addition to awareness- building activities, the MYDF has cultivated a sense of ownership and agency with local youth, fueled by high spirits of volunteerism. Though MYDF youth conduct income-generating activities that help support the council financially, their strategic partnerships have served to increase the council’s financial sustainability, as many partners have also become donors. One of the council’s key donors, the Italian Resident Association, provides funding for training, leadership development, and technical assistance, in addition to being active and engaged supporters of the youth. be able to do themselves.17 However, it is important that support and expanded the capacity of local youth adults and organizations support, as opposed to taking networks. away the agency or involvement of youth. Ideally, adults and organizations should demonstrate techniques, teach Clear communication youth applicable skills, or help expand the reach of the Clear communication – both internal and external – is youth council. The MYDF offers an excellent example of necessary for a youth council to be effective. Within the the way in which diverse partnerships serve to enhance council itself, establishing a system of communication the capacity of youth councils’ ability to succeed (see box can be very helpful in ensuring the smooth functioning of above). the council. For example, setting meeting agendas ahead of time and having weekly updates on the work of the UNICEF’s partnership with the MNYC is a good council contributes to the council’s success. External demonstration of an effective organization-youth council communications, such as identifying the target relationship. UNICEF has supported youth-led media audience(s) and devising a communication strategy to campaigns, which disseminate messages using expanded ensure timely and accurate information, can elevate the means of communication (e.g., street theater, video, visibility of a youth council and further promote its radio, television), thereby facilitating the promotion and work.18 Several staff members of the organizations awareness of youth issues identified by the council. profiled in the case studies mentioned their UNICEF has focused on building the capacity of MNYC communication strategy as a success. MYDF and members through training in decision-making and other MUYONET both work in areas with limited technology, skills related to civic engagement, and they train peer so they use traveling theater groups, word of mouth, communicators who conduct HIV/AIDS trainings via and, where available, mobile phones, to pass along mobile peer education units. UNICEF has also made an information. The GYP utilizes technology, particularly the institutional commitment to supporting the MNYC by Internet, to connect people and share information. The funding two youth-held positions – a manager and an MNYC makes use of its partnership with UNICEF for administrative assistant – dedicated to coordinating all communicating information about its activities, as the MNYC projects. latter organization has a wide range of contacts.

The GYP has utilized partnership in another capacity. The Challenges Associated with Youth Councils organization expanded its sphere of influence and established key networks with other youth organizations Even the most successful youth councils still face and global entities. For example, GYP delegates have challenges as they work toward their goals. In addition to partnered with TakingITGlobal members who work in the some of the general challenges discussed in this section, same cities. This collaboration has provided additional the youth councils featured in the case studies have

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 7 confronted problems such as infrastructure and resulting communicating about activities: through local media communication issues, uncooperative government outlets, limited Internet access, and mobile performance officials, and lack of technical expertise and skills. Some theater groups. The efforts and successes have achieved of the characteristics that create an effective youth broad visibility and recognition and have been council, such as representation, are also major documented in the media and agency reports. challenges. Finally, as for any organization, sustainability remains an ever-persistent problem, particularly in MUYONET faces similar infrastructural and geographical developing nations, where resources are frequently challenges. Issues of poor communication infrastructure unreliable and unstable. are further complicated by the frequent movement of the pastoralist community, MUYONET’s target Characteristics of youth population, which makes disseminating messages difficult. Periods of drought and flooding make transport Youth involved in councils are frequently engaged in almost impossible, increasing the challenges. In spite of other activities and sometimes have competing the challenges of Internet access and communications priorities. They may not always be available for meetings 19 (due to the poor infrastructure), the council has so their attendance may be sporadic. This can impact managed to promote awareness of its activities through the functioning of youth councils if the council does not newsletters, which are distributed both within the have a plan for dealing with high turnover. community and online. They have also established

extensive networks with youth groups that enable Another challenge relates to the time it takes to plan and MUYONET activities to be communicated quickly via implement projects, especially when the projects are word of mouth. done in collaboration with a government or large organization. Youth are often frustrated at how long it Poor relationships with government and community takes to make decision and enact change, particularly at the policy level.20 Therefore, youth must understand The attitude of adults is often an impediment to the timelines from the outset of any initiative. success, or even the creation, of youth councils. The following are three beliefs or attitudes that adults may Weak infrastructure hold. First, many adults believe that youth are not competent to participate in governance issues or make In a developing country, weak infrastructure can greatly decisions. They believe that youth are too immature and inhibit a youth council’s ability to be effective, especially inexperienced to offer valuable ideas and opinions.21 when attempting to expand outreach and to build Second, adults often see youth involvement in partnerships and networks. Both the MYDF and governance or decision-making as a threat to their own MUYONET have faced infrastructure problems, which are power. As a result, many adults resist the idea of only magnified by unmanageable geography. Still the increased youth participation.22 Finally some adults have councils have managed to overcome these challenges to unrealistic expectations regarding the behavior and be effective. motivations of youth council members. They expect The MYDF, which intended to cover the entire Malindi youth to be involved for purely altruistic reasons, and are district, is situated in a relatively poor region with disappointed if young people’s reasons for participating expansive geographical coverage. The poor (e.g., because other friends are on the youth council) communication infrastructure severely delays and limits appear to be selfish. They then sometimes discount or opportunities for the council to network with youth both even ignore the youth opinions, disregarding the fact domestically and internationally. Traveling within the that many adults are involved in governance for a 23 region is expensive and time-consuming, and financial multitude of reasons, not all altruistic. constraints of the council limit the youth members’ capacity to reach out to the more remote areas. Still, in All of the councils featured in this document have spite of these difficulties, the MYDF has managed to experienced challenges relating to government officials establish strong network and diverse means of and/or community members. Both the MYDF and

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 8 MUYONET have reported problems of interference from that the work of the council is beyond their knowledge local government officials, who see the ability of youth and expertise. to organize and effect change as a potential threat to their power. One of the key challenges for the GYP is The ARYI sometimes suffers as a result of its getting buy-in from reluctant or resistant municipal commitment to ensuring that a wide range of young leaders, who may express a commitment to youth perspectives is included. Since the organization works on development, but then do not support and commit a range of topics across many countries, the process of resources to youth participation in governance. As a guaranteeing representation and engaging in truly government-supported youth council, the MNYC has participatory approaches to project development and experienced an entirely different set of problems (see implementation is complicated and takes significant box below). time. Still, the ARYI maintains its strong belief that this method is the way to establish a strong organizational Representation foundation and sustainable youth movement. As mentioned previously, to be perceived as fair and Programmatic Sustainability legitimate by the youth, the council members should be from a wide variety of backgrounds and abilities. Many youth councils face challenges due to frequent However, even councils dedicated to the goal of equal membership changes. The high turnover rate of representation have difficulty achieving it. For example, members who naturally “age out” at some point and the MUYONET has noted problems in engaging out of school, departure of some youth due to disillusionment are illiterate and unemployed youth. The current youth stumbling blocks to the long-term functioning of the council representatives are mostly educated and literate council.24 In addition, if youth are not paid for their work youth and do not reflect the hard-to-reach majority of on the youth council, many will leave because of the their constituents. These disparities in the experience opportunity cost. and education make some local youth constituents feel

The Mozambique National Youth Council and the Government

One of the most formidable challenges reported by the MNYC youth council membership and their constituents has been managing the dichotomy of operating as an autonomous body intended to elevate youth issues while at the same time serving as a government-affiliated body that is dependent on government support. In addition to being operated by the government, the MNYC office is situated within a government building. Thus, they are embedded both physically and structurally within a political environment where youth issues are politicized. The Ministry of Youth and Sport, the office that administers donor funds, has control of both government and external resources allocated to the MNYC. As a result, MNYC members are unable to speak or campaign in opposition to the government because of the looming threat of losing funding. This financial dependency limits the expression of authentic youth voices.

Even when youth are vocal about particular issues, the MNYC has had little effect in influencing policies. Some council members feel that political leaders often impose their agenda upon the members. One youth member sees this as a demonstration of the widely held perception of youth not as partners, but merely as implementers and conduits used to galvanize and engage youth support. As a result of this dynamic, many youth constituents are disengaged and have a lack of ownership in the MNYC. As a political entity, the MNYC has difficulty working with other political youth organizations that engage in activities separate from the MNYC.

In 2006, out of frustration with the limited impact of the MNYC, youth leaders in Mozambique underwent efforts to develop a parallel, democratically elected youth council outside of the government. This mechanism is explicitly intended to be uncorrupted by politics and serve as a safe forum where youth can speak openly, challenge the government when necessary, and hold leaders accountable.

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 9 Conclusion understand the essential elements for success, and extrapolate key lessons learned from the challenges Despite their varying contexts, youth councils are youth councils often encounter. The various case studies increasing young people’s voices, developing their presented in this paper have provided some key critical social and interpersonal skills, enhancing their elements of effective youth councils, in addition to some self-esteem, and connecting them to their communities challenges councils face. Youth councils offer a valuable and the global arena. Youth are often designated as “the perspective on how youth practitioners can more future;” thus, promoting youth development clearly effectively engage with young people in development benefits future societies. However, youth are also part of planning and programs. Understanding the concept of the present, and they are ready, willing, and already youth councils should not be an end in and of itself, but involved in the world as it is now. the beginning of a process of empowering youth and To cultivate the growth of effective youth councils and highlighting their indispensable contributions to ignite a new wave of similar youth entities across the sustainable progress and change. globe, it is critical to learn from existing models,

1 The World Bank, World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation, (Washington: D.C.: World Bank, 2006), 26. 2 Hugh Matthews, “Citizenship, Youth Councils and Young People’s Participation,” Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 4, No. 3 (2001): 307; Hugh Matthews and Melanie Limb, “Another white elephant? Youth councils as democratic structures,” Space and Polity Vol. 7, Issue 2, (2003), 173-192: 186. 3 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 307; Matthews and Limb, 186; Claire Freeman, Karen Nairn, and Judith Sligo, “‘Professionalising’ Participation: From Rhetoric to Practice,” Children’s Geographies, Vol. 1, No. 1, 53-70, 2003: 59. 4 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 307; Freeman et al., 59. 5 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 308. 6 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 302-305. 7 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 308. 8 See TakingITGlobal *TIG}, “National Youth Councils: Their creation, evolution, purpose, and governance,” April 2006. 9 TIG, 39. Although the TakingITGlobal report refers specifically to national youth councils, the categories are useful for youth councils that operate at local, regional and international levels as well. 10 TIG, 39. 11 Republic of Mozambique, “Country Paper: 5th African Development Forum,” November 2006, 4. 12 TIG, 40. 13 See Matthews, “Citizenship,” 308 and TIG 59. 14 See Stafford, 364; WB 219; Matthews, “Citizenship,” 310; Freeman et al., 63. 15 See Matthews, “Citizenship,” 301; TIG 60. 16 See Stafford 364-365; Matthews, “Citizenship,” 309-301. 17 See Matthews, “Citizenship,” 312-313; TIG 63. 18 See TIG 63 and Matthews, “Citizenship,” 311. 19 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 312. See also Matthews and Limb, “White Elephant,” 186-187. 20 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 312. 21 Matthews, “Participatory Structures,” 156 and Mathews, “Citizenship,” 301. 22 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 310 and Matthews, “Participatory Signatures,” 156. 23 Freeman et al., “Professionalizing Participation,” 64-65. 24 Matthews, “Citizenship,” 312.

Youth Councils: An Effective Way to Promote Youth Participation - 10 About EQUIP3

The Educational Quality Improvement Program 3 (EQUIP3) is designed to improve earning, learning, and skill development opportunities for out-of-school youth in developing countries. We work to help countries meet the needs and draw on the assets of young women and men by improving policies and programs that affect them across a variety of sectors. We also provide technical assistance to USAID and other organizations in order to build the capacity of youth and youth-serving organizations.

EQUIP3 is a consortium of 13 organizations with diverse areas of expertise. Together, these organizations work with out-of-school youth in more than 100 countries.

To learn more about EQUIP3 please see the website at www.equip123.net/equip3/index_new.html.

EQUIP3 Consortium: Education Development Center, Inc.• Academy for Educational Development • Catholic Relief Services • International Council on National Youth Policy • International Youth Foundation • National Youth Employment Coalition • National Youth Leadership Council • Opportunities Industrialization Centers International • Partners of the Americas • Plan International Childreach • Sesame Workshop • Street Kids International • World Learning